


The Last Dance

by Laparoscopic



Series: EGS [13]
Category: El Goonish Shive
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Fan Art, Illustrated, Illustration, Mushy, Romance, Soap Opera
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-11 07:38:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11709858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laparoscopic/pseuds/Laparoscopic
Summary: Ellen meets her ex, Nanase, on the dance floor at Sarah and Grace and Tedd's wedding.UPDATE:No text change, but I added an illustration part-way through. :-).





	The Last Dance

**Author's Note:**

> So, I got some push-back from a few people about having "broken up" Nanase and Ellen in _The Night Before_. This is my response. :-)
> 
> With thanks to Cho Cozi Seyunolu for bouncing ideas back and forth with me, and beta-reading.

The wedding reception cocktails, meal, and toasts seemed to Ellen to take forever. Her position at the head table placed her between Grace and Sander, which meant she saw and at least briefly talked to almost everyone who came up to congratulate the newlyweds. Every time she saw a green dress approaching out of the corner of her eye, she flinched a little, but, thankfully, it was always someone else.

Eventually Sarah and Tedd and Grace had their first dance together, and then the dance floor opened up to everyone else. Ellen breathed a little mental sigh of relief as she grabbed Sander’s hand and dragged him onto the dance floor, ignoring his protests that he didn’t know how to dance; she was not going to give anybody else a chance to ask her to dance.

It took her a little while to get used to dancing in her long bridesmaid’s dress. It was a well designed dress, the skirt flowing wonderfully as she spun and twirled, but it was still an unusual sensation for her, her usual attire being skewed more towards jeans and slacks than dresses and skirts. But she enjoyed the way the skirt flared around her legs as she spun, and she made the most of the unusual, for her, outfit.

Ellen truly took the saying “Dance like nobody’s watching you” to heart. She threw herself into the music with an almost frenetic abandon that had others smiling, and occasionally dodging, not that she really noticed the outside world all that much while she was dancing. Sander lasted all of one dance with her before dropping out, to be replaced by a random Brown cousin who had nice moves. Ellen did at one point notice Elliot’s presence on the dance floor. She was amused to see him looking faintly appalled as he watched her move. His dance style was still a bit awkward, to her tastes; despite the coordination and fluidity that his martial arts training lent to his movements, his connection to the beat of the music always seemed to be just a little off.

Ellen had come to love dance in her other life, dance being an intimate physical activity that she could share with Archie, her asexual Uryuom boyfriend. That love had persisted into this life, the “real” world, even as her memories of her alternate lifetime faded into the past.

She didn’t dance exclusively with any one partner, but bounced (sometimes literally) from person to person, male or female, sometimes dancing in groups, sometimes in pairs, sometimes just by herself, feeling the music move through her. After the first few dances, she let her hair down from the French braid she’d put it into for the ceremony, and like her dress it also flared around her when she spun.

Indrani joined her for a couple of songs, smiling and shimmying and clapping to the beat as Ellen gyrated and twirled around her. Ellen danced a set with the brides and groom, the three women orbiting a laughing Tedd, who seemed a bit drunk on emotion, buzzed from all the warmth and good feelings surrounding them.

The fact that her constant motion across the dance floor kept her from being pinned down for conversation with a certain ex was… just a happy coincidence. Surely.

Ellen had managed to avoid talking with Nanase all evening. She’d seen her during the receiving line after the ceremony, but Nanase had been with her family, and Ellen had focused most of her attention on Akiko, amazed at how the eighteen-year-old young woman had grown so much since she had last seen her. Akiko kept glancing at Nanase as Ellen talked to her, but Ellen ignored that. Nanase had likewise not said much to Ellen at the time beyond the formulaic “Lovely ceremony” and “Nice to see you.” Ellen managed to keep the brief hug she exchanged with Nanase… brief. She inhaled a secret breath during the short hug, Nanase’s scent sending a wave of comfort and melancholic pleasure through her body. She hastily let go of her ex, gave her a smile which she was sure looked more like a rictus grin, and turned to the next person in the reception line, one of Sarah’s uncles whom she’d never met before.

When the Pouncing Platypus’ hit _Pagan Love Trance_ began playing, Ellen hastily set down the glass of water she’d grabbed to rehydrate a little, and threw herself back onto the dance floor, reveling in the beat. She danced alone at first, her eyes half-closed as she lost herself in the intense rhythms of the music. By now the other dancers on the floor knew to give her a little space when she danced at that tempo, as her gyrations and waving arms could be dangerous to innocent bystanders.

She slowly became aware that someone was dancing with her, matching her moves, albeit more gracefully and less frenetically. She opened her eyes fully and brushed her hair out of her face, half expecting to see that Indrani had re-joined her on the dance floor, but it was Nanase dancing with her. Her athletic form effortlessly matched Ellen’s dance, with the added grace and flow that just seemed to be part of Nanase. Ellen felt as if her heart stumbled a little at the sight of her first lover, matching her moves, but she kept on dancing, letting the music carry her along. Nanase was smiling a little as she danced, and Ellen essayed a tentative smile back, as she spun and whirled.

The song built to its pulse-pounding climax, ending with its abrupt smash-cut to silence at the end, the silence an almost physical thing in contrast to the wall of sound that lead up to it. Ellen, knowing how the song ended, held a pose, frozen in place for just a moment at the end, and Nanase matched her. Just as they were relaxing a little, the DJ said, “And now, for a change of pace, and a chance for y’all to catch your breaths after that last number—” and the slow melodic chords of _Open the Door_ began to play.

Ellen’s eyes went wide, recalling the first time she sang that song to Nanase— _for_ Nanase—at Grace’s birthday party, a decade ago. She felt her body stiffen, but before she could pull away or otherwise move, Nanase stepped forward and put her hands on Ellen’s waist. Ellen’s arms came up reflexively, without thought, automatically falling into the familiar grip, one hand on Nanase’s hip, the other on the back of her bare shoulder. Their nearness brought Nanase’s sweet musky scent to Ellen, and a flush spread across her cheeks as her body automatically responded to that familiar, comforting aroma. As they began to sway slowly to the gentle song, Ellen blurted out the first thought that came to her short-circuiting brain: “I’m all gross and sweaty.”

Nanase laughed. “Like I’ve never held you while you’re hot and sweaty before. And you’re not the only one.” Ellen blushed some more. Nonetheless, they danced with a small bit of space between them, both of them breathing a little heavily as they cooled down. Ellen struggled to keep her attention off of the rivulet of sweat trickling down Nanase’s cleavage, and the attendant desire to lick it; but lifting her gaze left her staring into her ex’s smiling eyes instead. She bit her lip and glanced around the room, for the first time self-conscious about her appearance on the dance floor. Well, all right, about _their_ appearance on the dance floor. She wondered at the chance of that particular song coming up in the play queue just then, and looked to where the DJ stood. Grace, resplendent in her long white gown, was standing next to the DJ, beaming at Ellen and Nanase.

 _Fuck. No coincidence at all,_ thought Ellen. _Sneaky squirrel._ She snorted. _She sure looks pleased._ She hadn’t realized she’d spoken that last bit out loud until shesaw Nanase look over at Grace too. She shook her head and gave a little laugh.

“Not too surprising, I guess. I think in some ways she took our break-up even harder than we did,” said Nanase.

Ellen dared to look back into Nanase’s eyes at that, her expression suddenly sober. “No. No, she didn’t. She couldn’t have.” Then she shut her mouth, clenched her jaw tight. _Stupid stupid_ ** _stupid_** , she berated herself. _Can’t I just enjoy this brief moment of togetherness without ruining it?…_ She dropped her hands from Nanase’s body, and started to pull away from her. “Sorry, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t—”

Nanase didn’t let her go, her grip on Ellen’s waist tightening, preventing her retreat. “Shh. No shoulds. Dance with me, my sweet.”

Ellen blinked rapidly, surprised at the sudden urge to tears provoked by that simple affectionate phrase. She slowly, almost reluctantly, put her hands back on Nanase’s hip and shoulder. She gazed beseechingly into Nanase’s eyes and whispered, “Don’t…”

“Don’t what?”

Ellen found herself speaking before she could think. “Don’t break my heart again.”

Nanase sighed, and leaned a little closer, resting her head on Ellen’s shoulder. “Oh, love,” she said, her voice full of regret. Ellen’s stomach clenched to hear that phrase in Nanase’s mouth, and she just closed her eyes against the tears. They swayed together for a few silent moments, letting the music wash over them.

 

 _I come to you with my hopes and fears,_  
_You listen, however strange they are._  
_You're always there to give a hand—_  
_But never keen to take one back._

 

“But you _did_ take it back,” whispered Ellen. She wasn’t totally sure if she was talking to herself, or to Nanase.

Nanase was silent for so long, Ellen wondered if perhaps Nanase hadn’t heard her. Then Nanase lifted her head from Ellen’s shoulder and said, just as quietly, “I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry. ”

Ellen’s heart lurched, and she sucked in a sharp breath. She stopped moving, standing motionless, her hands still on Nanase’s hip and shoulder. She clamped down on her surging emotions as hard as she could, struggling to maintain a neutral facade. She stared into Nanase’s eyes, and repeated, “ _Don’t_.”

Nanase stared back at her, and Ellen was surprised to see tears standing in Nanase’s eyes as well. She suddenly became acutely aware of where they were—in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by people, many of whom knew of their past history. She dropped her hands again, and said, as steadily as she could, “Can we take this conversation elsewhere?”

Nanase’s gaze flickered to the sides, apparently also taking in their potential audience, and nodded. She let go of Ellen, wiped at her eyes, and they turned towards the exit doors. As they walked off the dance floor, side-by-side, but not touching, the song drew to its end:

 

_In the end we'll always be friends,  
But it's up to you whether we will fly._

 

* * *

 

Ellen leaned on the low stone wall that separated the flagstone patio from the gardens. She stared out at the moon-lit gardens, enjoying the cool evening air.

“I’ll get us some water. Back in a sec,” said Nanase.

Ellen nodded without looking at her. “Thanks.” She stood there, staring but not really seeing anything, her heart and mind in turmoil. _What is she doing? Is she really interested in getting back together? She couldn’t possibly be playing with me, could she? She would never be that cruel. Would she? I should get out of here before I get burned again. But, oh, god, what if she’s_ ** _not_** _playing? Could this be real?…_ Her thoughts raced in circles.

The sound of footsteps behind her brought her attention back to the world around her, and she turned, expecting to see Nanase, but she found her brother instead.

“Hey,” said Elliot.

“Hey.”

“I, uh, saw you two in there. You doing okay?”

Ellen snorted and shook her head slowly. “Dunno. Ask me again in an hour.”

Elliot nodded, looking a bit uncomfortable. He was never at his best with messy emotional situations. “You wanna talk about it?”

Ellen hesitated. _Yeah, but not with you_ seemed unnecessarily rude, especially given how difficult that kind of offer was for him in the first place. “Thanks, but… not right now. Maybe I’ll come knocking on your door to cry on your shoulder later.”

Elliot grimaced. “All right.” He gave her a wry smile “You want me to beat her up for you?”

Ellen actually laughed at that. “You really think you _could_?”

Elliot looked mock offended. “Hey, my strength is as the strength of ten”—

“And hers is as the strength of Third Dan, last I heard.”

Elliot paused, looking startled. “Really? Jeez. When does she have time to practice that much?”

“It’s how I work out my aggressions, so I don’t kill any of my dissertation committee advisers,” said Nanase’s voice behind them. Ellen turned, to see Nanase, two tall glasses of water in her hands, smiling slightly at Elliot.

“Hey, Nase,” said Elliot. There was a short awkward pause as the three of them exchanged glances, but nobody said anything.

Then Nanase handed one of the glasses of water to Ellen, and said, “Two of my ex’s together at once. I feel outnumbered.”

Elliot snorted. “Well, if you include Fox, you’re two of _my_ ex’s all by yourself.”

Ellen barked out a short laugh, and Nanase smiled and shook her head. “Fox still occasionally bugs me to find out how you’re doing,” she admitted.

“Really? Has she become more of an individual over time, or…”

“Well, no, she’s still just a facet of me. I guess…” Nanase trailed off and shrugged.

“You’re more curious about me—about _us”—_ he waved a hand that included Ellen in that _us_ —“than you’ll consciously admit to yourself.”

“Maybe.” Ellen and Elliot gave almost identical little chuckles, in unison.

Elliot glanced at Ellen, and then Nanase. “Well. I’ll leave you ladies to it.” Heput a hand on Ellen’s shoulder and added, “Call me if you need anything, sis.”

“I will. Thanks, El.”

He met Nanase’s eyes for a moment, and said quietly, “Be kind.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and headed back inside to the party.

Nanase watched him go. “He’s a good brother,” she said.

Ellen nodded. “Yah.” She took a sip of her water, then downed half the glass as she realized just how thirsty she was. “I needed that. Thanks.”

“No problem.”

They looked at each other for a long silent moment, then they both turned, as if by agreement, to look out over the garden. The nervousness that had faded while talking with her brother returned in force, and Ellen drained her glass and set it down on the stone wall. She crossed her arms across her chest, to keep her hands from doing anything foolish.

After several more long moments of silence, Nanase said, “God, I had this whole big speech planned out, and now I can’t think of a thing to say.”

“What speech? Why did you want to say anything? I spent the whole evening _avoiding_ having to say anything to you.”

“I noticed.”

Ellen turned to Nanase, some of her nervousness turning to anger. “You come to me, you dance with me, call me ‘sweetie’, call me… call me ‘ _love_ ’, and you can’t think of what to say?” She scowled. “Why did you have to say anything at all in the first place?”

Nanase sighed and buried her face in her hands. “Oh, my love…”

“ _Don’t._ Don’t call me that. You lost that right years ago.”

Nanase lifted her face from her hands, and Ellen was shocked to see tears in her eyes, which pooled and trickled down her cheeks. She nodded.“You’re right. I did. But I want it—that right—I want _you_ —back,” she whispered.

Ellen froze, not daring to breath. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything in response. _What do you mean_ seemed a stupidly obvious question.

Nanase stared at her, her eyes searching her frozen face, as if looking for some response. But Ellen said nothing, her anger evaporating back into nervousness. Nervousness leavened with a tiny spark of hope. She fought to keep her facial expression neutral, to give nothing away.

Finally Nanase broke the fraught silence. “I’ve had… a few lovers since you,” she said quietly. “Only two who lasted more than a couple of months. Regina lasted almost a year and a half, but in the end—in the end.” She licked her lips and swallowed. “None of them could measure up. None of them were _you_.”

Ellen closed her eyes, fighting to keep her own tears in check. “Nase…” she breathed.

But having started, Nanase finally seemed to have found her words. “I’ve thought about this a long time. Trying to figure out if I was idealizing you, romanticizing our past, maybe longing for some youthful fantasy of an ideal relationship that hadn’t really existed. I took out every memory, every good time and bad, and examined it in the hard light of day. Trying to see where we went wrong.” She sighed. “Where _I_ went wrong.”

Ellen shook her head. “It wasn’t just you.”

“I know.” Ellen gave a choked little laugh at that, and opened her eyes, to see Nanase smiling tentatively at her.

“I’m not claiming I’m perfect, or that you’re perfect. I’m pretty sure I haven’t put you on a pedestal. There were a dozen little ways you drove me crazy or pissed me off, and yet… and yet…” She slowly reached out a hand as if to brush Ellen’s cheek. Ellen’s eyes went wide, and she froze, not even breathing for a moment. Nanase stopped reaching for her, clenched her fingers into a fist and dropped her hand before making contact. She shook her head and scowled.

“ _Dammit_. Words. Words are so clumsy for expressing everything I’m feeling right now.” She turned away from Ellen and looked back out at the gardens. After a long pause, she resumed, her voice low and intent.

“Words. Simple words. I love you. That’s as simple as I can get, three one syllable words. I’ve always loved you, I haven’t stopped loving you, and I’ve come to realize that it was just fear, and my stupid pride, that kept me from asking you to be with me again. I love you. I _miss_ you. I miss your wit, your snark, your laughter, your beauty, your quirky way of seeing the world. I miss your strength, and determination to do the right thing.” She was breathing heavily, as if the effort of getting all these simple words out was exhausting.

Her mouth quirked in a brief smile. “And I’ve missed your body, as long as I’m being honest. Your heat, and the passion with which you made love. The way you threw yourself into it completely, like you do so many other things.” She smiled wistfully. “I miss the way we _laughed_ in bed together.”

Ellen found herself breathing hard too, listening to Nanase’s litany, her arms wrapped tight across her belly. She struggled to keep her shoulders down, from hunching up like a defensive turtle. She stared at the side of Nanase’s face. “Can you look at me while you say that?” she asked gently.

Nanase turned away from the garden, and slowly lifted her damp gaze to meet Ellen’s eyes. “I wish we could both be in Guardian form together again, so you could feel what I’m feeling.”

Ellen bit her lip and slowly shook her head. “No. Some things need to be explicitly said, and heard, not just felt.”

“Maybe so. Maybe so.” Nanase took a deep breath. “Are there second chances?” she asked quietly. “Can there be? For us?”

Ellen stared at her a long time, her mind a turmoil of thoughts and emotions that skittered and bounced about like a hummingbird on crack, refusing to settle down into any coherent whole. The longing in Nanase’s eyes was everything she’d ever hoped to see, but it was so unexpected that she did not know how to respond. She held up a hand, palm out, _wait_ , and closed her eyes. She took a few slow, calming breaths, trying to center herself. Slowly, over the course of a minute, her breathing and mind slowed, her thoughts coming to something almost resembling coherence. She opened her eyes to find Nanase still staring anxiously at her.

“Simple words,” she agreed. “Right. I…” She took a deep breath. “I’ve missed you too. I _love_ you too.” The words came out a rushed low voice. Nanase’s mouth quivered in a little smile, but she still looked anxious. “The reason I’ve been avoiding you all evening is because… when I first looked out over the audience from the altar, and saw your face in the crowd, I…” Ellen blushed, then took a deep breath. “I almost passed out.” She shook her head. “Fuck, that sounds stupidly melodramatic. But it’s true. It’s not as if I didn’t know you’d be there, I knew your family was coming to the wedding. But the reality of seeing you, for the first time in over two years, was overwhelming. All those feelings that I’d tried to push aside, that I’d been ignoring for the past five years, came flooding back.” She grimaced, then smiled, nervously, at Nanase. “That rush of emotions—I was so damn _happy_ to see you, it almost bowled me over.”

“Oh.” Nanase’s eyes were wide.

Ellen turned and sat down on the low stone wall separating the patio from the gardens. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and rubbed at her temples. She could hear in her mind her mother admonishing her to sit in a more lady-like fashion, knees together, but in times of stress her body language tended to revert to her earliest, male mode. Nanase sat down too, a couple of feet away from her. Ellen was wryly amused to observe that Nanase, at least, sat neatly with her legs together, hands clasped demurely in her lap.

No, hands clasped _nervously_ in her lap. In constant motion, fidgeting and anxious.

Ellen sighed, and continued, staring at the ground in front of her. “You aren’t the only one who’s thought at length about our past. About the break-up. Of how I fucked up.”

“It wasn’t just you—”

Ellen waved a hand through the air, cutting Nanase off. “No. Of course not. But, honestly—in the end, it was _me_ who left _you_. Too chickenshit to commit to my high school sweetheart, just because I was freaked out by the idea of being tied down, and never having sex with anyone else ever again. Running away from you so I could leave you, instead of having you leaving me.”

“Uhhh…” Ellen looked up to see Nanase staring at her, wide-eyed. “Really? That’s what it looked like from your side of things?”

Ellen blinked, a bit non-plussed. “Uh, yeah. What else was it about? Me being a chickenshit jerk, thinking with my cunt, afraid of commitment.”

Nanase just stared at her for a long minute, until Ellen began to fidget, nervously wondering what she was thinking about. Finally, Nanase began to slowly shake her head.

“We… weren’t communicating too well there, at the end, were we?”

“Um. I guess not? Why, what did you think it was all about?”

Nanase took a deep breath, and gave a brief smile. “Similar, but—not quite the same. I could tell you had commitment issues, which is why I never talked about anything long-term with you. About life goals, where we might be in ten years, that kind of thing. And as for the sex— _I_ was the one who suggested we try an open relationship, since we were at different universities.”

“Yeah. I thought you were trying to… slowly break up with me. Ease me out the door, in the hopes that I would find someone else so you could say goodbye with an easy conscience.”

Nanase pinched the bridge of her nose, looking pained. “It was hard to try and give you the sexual freedom you seemed to crave, and still not scare you off with promises of emotional fidelity and long term commitment. I was trying to do what I thought would make you happy. Give you a chance to sow your wild oats, as it were, and still come back to me after we graduated.”

“Oh.” Ellen felt a little stupid. “I… never realized that.”

“Obviously.”

“I thought… you were pushing me away. So I pushed you away first, harder, preemptively. Wanting to be the one to leave, instead of being left.”

“Yeah.” Ellen saw a flicker of old pain on Nanase’s face, heard an echo of that pain in that simple reply, and she winced.

Nanase sighed. “And I responded in kind, trying to leave _you_ first. Like I said. We weren’t communicating very well there, at the end.”

Ellen nodded. She looked over at Nanase, just a couple of feet away from her on the wall, and felt like she was both closer to and further away from her than ever before. She laid her hand on the stone between them. “I… I’m sorry I pushed you away. That I _left_ you.”

She looked down, grimacing. “I can’t even tell you how sorry I am that I hurt you.” She lifted her gaze and looked cautiously at Nanase, a little afraid of what she might see there. Nanase was watching her quietly, her expression guarded, but not cold. Hearing her.

Ellen stared in silence at Nanase for a few moments, trying to judge the effect her words were having on her former lover. “I’m… done with my wild oats. Sex is fun, but… without the love. It’s like you said. None of them compared to you.” She smiled tentatively. “So… if that was your plan… can I come back to you _now_? Maybe just a little bit later than you’d originally planned?”

Nanase caught her breath, and bit her lower lip. She stretched her hand out to Ellen slowly, so slowly that Ellen wanted to just grab at her, but she refrained. Afraid of making any sudden movement, afraid she might scare her off. At last she lay her hand on top of Ellen’s on the wall and squeezed it.

Even though they had touched while dancing, this felt like a new touch, a first touch, sending a jolt of adrenaline and terrified joy through Ellen’s body in reaction. She turned her hand palm up, so she could grip Nanase’s hand back.

“Can it be that simple?” asked Nanase quietly.

“We both want it, don’t we?” replied Ellen, suddenly nervously uncertain.

Nanase nodded emphatically. “Yes. I do.” Now Nanase looked uncertain, too. “Don’t you?

Ellen relaxed, relieved. “Oh, _god_ , yes, more than anything.” They smiled at each other, hesitantly, but with a growing warmth.

“Is this what you wanted to say to me, in that prepared speech you planned out in your head?” Ellen asked.

Nanase smiled a little. “Yeah. Basically. I just—I never dared imagine you might actually say _yes_.”

“Oh, love,” said Ellen, and this time it was Nanase who sucked in a sudden breath and bit her lip to hear those words from Ellen’s mouth.“What else could I ever say to you?” She shook her head. “I’m so elated and terrified right now.”

“Terrified? Of what?”

“That you might come to your senses and change your mind.”

“No. I’ve been waiting for this for too long.”

“Me too.”

They sat there, a single hand clasped between them, smiling at each other. Ellen felt her shoulders relax and her smile grow warmer, and more confident, as Nanase’s smile grew warmer in return. After minute of this, Ellen felt pretty sure she was actually grinning like a loon, but Nanase looked similarly elated.

Ellen chuckled.

“What’s funny?” asked Nanase curiously.

“It just occurred to me—Grace is going to be _unbearably_ smug.”

Nanase laughed. “True.”

Ellen considered Grace for a moment, then smiled. “But, you know what? She’s earned it. Playing that song just then, that was inspired.”

“Ah. Yeah.”

Ellen slowly rubbed her thumb across Nanase’s knuckles, enjoying the familiar topography of Nanase’s hand in hers. Her eyes locked on Nanase’s, she slowly lifted their hands to her mouth, and kissed the back of her hand. She didn’t let her lips linger over long, but nor was it just a quick peck. She was pleased to see Nanase take a little deeper breath in response. Somehow, they were sitting much closer together than they had been a few minutes ago, legs touching, although Ellen had no recollection of either of them moving.

“So. How do we proceed from here?” Ellen asked.

“What do you mean?”

“We probably should take this slowly. Get to know each other again. Maybe go out on a few dates, chat, catch up on things.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that would probably be sensible.”

Ellen kissed the back of Nanase’s hand again, this time lingering a little longer. She was gratified to see Nanase’s nipples stiffening in response.

“But somehow, sensible doesn’t appeal to me quite so much right now.”

“Yes,” agreed Nanase with a smile.

Ellen slipped a bit of Nanase’s middle finger into her mouth, and slowly sucked on it. Nanase bit her lip and suppressed a small whimpering moan. Ellen smiled.

“What I _really_ want to know, right now…”

“Yes?” asked Nanase, a little breathlessly.

Ellen leaned closer, her lips barely brushing Nanase’s ear, and she whispered, “Does your pussy still taste like pineapple?”

Nanase gave a startled laugh, and, blushing, turned to face her lover. They rubbed noses a moment in an old familiar gesture of affection, and she whispered back, “Only one way to find out.”

Their lips were millimeters apart, and Ellen felt like hers were burning as she brushed them gently across Nanase’s. She moved her head back and forth, just barely making contact, and heard Nanase suck in a sharp breath of air at the sensation. She let the barest tip of her tongue trace a line across Nanase’s lips, then chuckled happily at the resultant quiet moan.

“God, I’ve missed your lips,” she murmured, lifting a hand to caress Nanase’s cheek. Nanase grabbed her hand, and held it to her mouth, kissing the palm of her hand.

“Likewise,” said Nanase happily. Ellen smiled and leaned in for another gentle kiss.

A few minutes later, Ellen pulled her lips reluctantly away from Nanase with a happy sigh. She stared into her lover’s smiling eyes for a few moments, then stood up and tugged Nanase up with her. She started to head back in towards the reception. “Come on, we need to make our good-byes to the brides and groom.”

Nanase glanced towards the party inside, still going strong, and didn’t move, forcing Ellen to come to a stop.

“What?” asked Ellen.

“Do we really have to? All those people… Grace… my _parents._ ” Nanase bit her lip, looking nervous.

Ellen frowned. “Having second thoughts?” A sudden unwelcome thought flashed through her mind. “Are you… embarrassed by me?” Her stomach twisted a little.

“No! God, no, nothing like that.” She gave Ellen a hasty reassuring kiss. “But… I guess I wanted this to be just for us, for a while. Before everyone we know starts gossiping about us. Grace isn’t the only one who’s going to be unbearably smug.”

“Eh. True,” conceded Ellen.

A quiet chuckle came from the flowering bushes. “But you guys are just fooling yourselves if you think nobody’s noticed what’s going on out here in the dark,” said Sarah, emerging from the shadow of a large bush. Her wedding gown was suddenly luminous as she stepped out of the shadows into moonlight.

Ellen frowned at Sarah, her face flushing. “Were you _spying_ on us?” she demanded. Embarrassment made her tone of voice a bit harsher than she’d intended.

Sarah smiled. “No, I just came out for a breath of fresh air a couple of minutes ago. Not that you two would have noticed. You were rather, ah, _busy_ , at the time.”

“Oh.” Ellen’s frown disappeared, but the blush didn’t.

“So. I take it congratulations are in order?” asked Sarah.

Ellen and Nanase, still holding hands, exchanged a glance. “Well, it’s not like we’re getting married or anything,” began Nanase.

“Not yet,” murmured Ellen under her breath. Nanase’s hand spasmed in hers, squeezing tight for a moment.

“But, yeah. We’re… we’re a couple again.” It felt odd to hear it said out loud, but Ellen rather liked it.

Sarah’s smile grew wider, and she threw her arms around the two of them, hugging them tight. “Oh, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you two.”

Ellen laughed, and hugged her back. “Thanks.”

The three of them clung to each other for a long happy moment, then Nanase pulled back a little. “Ah, if you heard that last little bit of our conversation…”

Sarah released them, and grinned. “If you don’t feel up to facing the crowds, I’ll pass your regards on to my _husband_ and _wife_.” She seemed to relish using the phrase. Then she got a thoughtful look on her face. “But… I know how Grace feels about the two of you. It would _really_ put the icing on an already perfect day for her if she could at least see you two together.”

Ellen hesitated a moment, torn. She had no problems with going back inside, but she didn’t want to subject Nanase to anything that made her truly uncomfortable. She glanced at Nanase, and could see that she was wavering. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to, sweetie. But I bet we could get an almost ultrasonic squee out of Grace if we did.”

“Given her ancestry, she might actually _go_ ultrasonic,” said Nanase.

“No, that would be Vladia,” said Sarah. “She’s the one with bat genes.”

Nanase snorted, and shook her head. She glanced at Ellen, then stood up a little straighter, lifting her chin. She gave a crooked little grin. “What the hell. We’re going to have to face it sometime. We might as well make a splash.”

Sarah clapped her hands in delight, then said, “Just let me go inside first, so I can get someone to point a camera at Grace before you come in.”

Ellen laughed. “Sure. Why not.”

“Give me just a minute.” Sarah lifted her dress, turned, and hurried back inside.

Nanase gave Ellen a side-long look, as they stood there in the moonlight, waiting the requested minute. “So…”

“So?”

“ ‘Not yet’?”

Ellen looked down, pretending to be bashful, then she peered coyly up at Nanase through her eyelashes. “Well, I figured I should start working on my commitment issues. And besides, having gone through all this to get you back, you really think I’m going to let you go again?”

Nanase’s answering smile was luminous. She leaned in and gave Ellen a kiss, which Ellen felt all the way down to her toes.

“Umf. God, you’re good at that,” murmured Ellen happily.

Nanase’s grin widened, and she tugged Ellen towards the party. “So, come on. Let’s go see if we can make a bride squee ultrasonic.”

Ellen laughed, and they returned to the festivities.

Entering the reception hall hand-in-hand with Nanase felt like a commitment of some sort, a public announcement of intent. Maybe not as strong a commitment as a wedding ceremony, but the feeling of community involvement in their relationship was similar. Less than a quarter of the people at the wedding knew of their previous relationship, but it seemed to Ellen that every single one of those individuals was looking at them as they stepped into the room. There were many smiles, and a couple of stunned looks, as they rejoined the party.

Ellen was pretty sure that Grace’s reaction was everything Sarah could have hoped for.When she saw them arm-in-arm, smiling at her, she cried out “Oh, you guys!” before bursting into happy tears and grabbing them both. Her hug was rib-creaking and prolonged, which only served to draw the attention of everyone who’d missed their entrance as to what was going on.

They ended up staying at the reception for another half an hour, talking with friends and family. Ellen was a little surprised at how many people came up to them to say something congratulatory or wish them well. _Hell, was it that obvious to everyone but us that we belong together?_

Given that Nanase’s purse was at the table where the rest of her family was sitting, it was impossible to avoid the Kitsune clan. Akiko practically jumped up and down in her excitement. “Finally! It’s about time you two got your heads out of your butts.”

Mrs. Kitsune cleared her throat and glowered at her younger daughter. “Akiko! That’s no way for a young lady to talk.” She glanced obliquely at Ellen and Nanase. “Even if the sentiment _is_ accurate.”

Ellen was taken aback by that implicit affirmation of their relationship. She felt Nanase relax a little under her arm at those words. Mr. Kitsune just smiled warmly at them, and said nothing.

Indrani gave them a pout when she saw them. “Phooey. Well, I guess that solves my dilemma of trying to decide which one of you to seduce tonight.”

Ellen laughed, as Nanase blushed. “I thought Grace said you were in a relationship?”

Indrani shrugged. “We’re not as hung up on monogamy as you _Homo sapiens_ types are. I don’t suppose you’d have room for a third?”

Ellen rolled her eyes. “No.”

Indrani smiled. “Figured as much. Reunion sex being too important to add a stranger to the mix.”

Nanase finally managed a choked laugh. “Then why’d you even ask?”

“Hey, you never know unless you try. Would have hated to miss out on an opportunity as yummy as you two.” She licked her lips and gave them a cheerfully lecherous grin.

“Ah… well, thank you, I guess,” stammered Nanase.

“Have fun tonight.” Indrani blew them a kiss and turned back to the dance floor.

Elliot just gave a gentle smile when saw them, and shook his head a little. Ellen rolled her eyes. “ ‘Finally?’ ” she asked him, echoing a few other people’s reactions.

His smile widened. “I’d never be so rude as to say that, but… I _do_ enjoy the rare occasions when my emotional IQ is actually higher than yours.”

She punched him on the arm, which made him laugh. He gave them both a hug before he walked off, still laughing.

 

* * *

 

Since Nanase was sharing a hotel room with Akiko, when they finally made their escape, they headed for Ellen’s room.

“Just let me stop and pick up a few things first,” said Nanase.

“How long are you in town for?” asked Ellen

Nanase’s expression suddenly fell a little, and she gave Ellen a sad smile. “Just through Sunday. I’ve got a one o’clock flight.” She squeezed Ellen’s hand tight.

Ellen felt a her stomach clench a little, as she realized that they would be heading off to opposite coasts in two days. Her back to North Carolina, Nanase to California. Then she shook her head mentally. _We’ve got tonight, and all of tomorrow. Enjoy the moment. We’ll work it out._

“Might as well bring your whole suitcase, then.”

Nanase looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.

Nanase rested her head on Ellen’s shoulder on the elevator ride up to Nanase’s room, and Ellen was a little shocked to see herself in the mirrored wall. “Good grief, I’m a mess.” She ran a hand through her long messy hair in an attempt to get it into some semblance of order. “ _This_ is what is going to show up in all those photos people were just taking of us? Yikes!”

“Well, you were dancing pretty hard for a long time.”

“I guess…” Reminded, Ellen ducked her nose towards her armpit, and grimaced. Then she smiled at Nanase. “What say we start with a nice, romantic bath? My room has a decent size Jacuzzi. I could use a bath.”

Nanase grinned. “You and me both.”

Ellen turned her head and buried her nose in Nanase’s hair. “No, _you_ smell divine.” She paused, took another breath, and felt something deep inside her relax. She said quietly, “You smell like _home_.” Her eyes welled up with tears, and she took a moment to collect herself. “God. I can’t believe this is really happening.”

“Me neither.”

Ellen pulled back and smiled at Nanase, just as the elevator doors opened. “Come on, let’s get your stuff.”

Ellen sat down on one of the beds as Nanase packed up her makeup and toiletries.

“Here,” said Nanase, as she stuck her head out of the bathroom. She tossed a long narrow box a little larger than a toothbrush to Ellen. “Let’s get the practicalities out of the way first.”

Ellen caught the box, and sighed at the sight of the familiar Quik-Chek™ logo on the box.

“I guess we’re not seventeen year old virgins anymore,” she said ruefully.

“Nope. Do you trust my kit, or did you want me to use yours?”

Ellen gave her an incredulous look. “If I can’t trust you with this, we’ve got deeper problems than just STDs.”

“True. I was just asking out of habit.” Ellen sighed, and unboxed the disposable test kit. A quick scrub with the enclosed alcohol swab, a pin-prick, and two minutes later they were exchanging tests, each showing green.

“Good.” Nanase resumed packing up her things, and asked over her shoulder, “When was your last check-up at a doctor or clinic?”

“About three months ago. Just after Will and I broke up.”

“Hmm. Any sexual encounters since then?”

Ellen laughed. “Do you subject all your lovers to this kind of grilling?”

Nanase shot her a look. “It’s not exactly grilling, and, don’t you?”

Ellen shrugged. “I guess I’m a little more casual about it. I try to work it into conversation, let it come out naturally.”

Nanase grinned. “Well, frankly, after we get to your room, I’m hoping most of our conversation will be non-verbal. So we need to get it done now.”

“Ooh, I like the sound of that.”

“So, anything to report?”

Ellen rolled her eyes. “Not really.”

“What does _that_ mean?”

“Um…” Ellen was surprised to find she was blushing a little. “I met an old friend at a conference a couple of months ago, but… neither of us had any condoms or anything, and we were too lazy to go out and get some. So we just, uh, masturbated together.” She paused, then added, “And we kissed a fair bit.”

“Okay.”

“What about you?”

“Last check-up was seven months ago, but I’ve been single, and celibate, for over a year.”

Ellen blinked, then a slow smile crept across her face. “Hmm. You must have a _lot_ of pent-up energy to get rid of.”

Nanase zipped her suitcase shut, and pulled it off the stand. She shot Ellen a smoldering look that was heated enough to harden Ellen’s nipples . “Oh, you have _no_ idea.”

“Fox not enough to keep you happy?” teased Ellen.

Nanase rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You’ve only ever seen Fox when… well, when you’re with me.”

“Uh, obviously?”

Nanase shook her head. “It’s just… you wouldn’t know. Someone else’s presence always brings out different aspects of her, makes her more… more of an individual. More unpredictable. When it’s just her and me… well, there’re few surprises.” She shrugged. “Not that it isn’t more _fun_ than regular solo play”—

“Yeah, _I_ can’t lick my own pussy.”

Nanase blushed. —“but in the end, it’s still just masturbation. Not so emotionally rewarding.”

Ellen stood up and wrapped an arm around Nanase, “Well, I look forward to helping you relieve your… _tensions_.” Nanase chuckled.

Fortunately, the elevator ride back down to Ellen’s floor was short, or else the people monitoring the security cameras might have gotten a better show. Ellen unlocked the door to her room, then held it open to allow Nanase to pull her suitcase in. Thinking ahead, she said, “I’m going to go grab a bucket of ice. You want to start filling the tub?”

Nanase smiled. “Ice?”

“I’m still awfully thirsty,” said Ellen, straight-faced. And, she realized, truthfully.

“Ah, yes, of course.” Nanase grinned. “Go. I’ll start the tub.”

Ellen practically ran down the hall to the ice machine, not wanting to waste a moment away from Nanase.

Re-entering the room, she could hear the sound of running water in the bathroom. Nanase was sitting on the edge of the bed, one leg of her pantyhose off, rubbing at her foot. She looked up at Ellen and smiled ruefully. “Man, I’m not used to dancing in heels anymore.”

Ellen stood there, ice bucket in hand, momentarily frozen in place.

Nanase cocked her head and smiled quizzically at Ellen “What is it?”

Ellen shook her head, and blew out a deep breath. “I…” She swallowed. “You’re really here.” Just having been away from her for a short couple of minutes was enough to bring the strangeness of it all back to the forefront of her attention.

Nanase finished peeling her pantyhose off, momentarily distracting Ellen with a flash of thigh and silky green panties, then she stood up and walked over to Ellen. She took the ice bucket from her unresisting hands, and set it on the dresser. Then she took Ellen’s hands in hers, facing her.

“I know what you mean. It’s a little unreal, isn’t it?”

Ellen nodded, blinking back tears.

Nanase frowned a little, and brushed her fingertips across Ellen’s cheek. “What is it, love? Those don’t look like happy tears.”

Ellen tried to smile, and failed miserably. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. “It’s just… you talked about only having had a couple of relationships that lasted more than a few months. Well, I’ve never had _any_ that lasted more than three or four months, other than you. Somehow, I… I always end up chasing them away.” She looked up at Nanase, dread in her heart. “What if I chase you away too?” she whispered.

Nanase pulled her into a tight hug, and after a moment’s hesitation, Ellen returned the hug. She clung tight, not wanting to let her go, loving the old familiar feel of Nanase in her arms.

After a long clench, Nanase loosened her hold a little, and pulled back. She brushed a lock of hair out of Ellen’s face as she stared into her eyes. “We’ll have our problems. We always do, everyone does. But we’ll work through them. Having waited this long to be with you, you’d have to come after me with a hockey mask and a chain saw in order to chase me away.”

Ellen laughed a little at the mental image, and gave Nanase a little kiss on the cheek. “Really? You think we can make this work? The distance alone”—

Nanase grimaced. “Yeah, the distance sucks, but we can work through it. I’m finished with school except for the final revisions of my dissertation, and I can finish that elsewhere. I don’t _have_ to be in California.” She sighed. “Although the lack of snow has been awfully nice…”

Ellen chuckled, starting to feel a little more hopeful. “We don’t get _too_ much snow in Durham. Nothing like Moperville. And there’s no drought. You’ll be able to take showers longer than three minutes long.”

Nanase smiled. “You don’t have to sell me, sweetie; you’re all the reason I need to move.”

Ellen pulled her back into a hug, and rested her head on Nanase’s shoulder. “We’ll make it work,” she said softly.

“Yes. I promise.”

“I promise, too.”

They held onto one another for another minute, just enjoying the feeling. Ellen let her hands trace up and down Nanase’s back, loving the feel of her broad muscular back under her hands. She was just beginning to entertain notions of letting her hands wander a little further afield when Nanase said, “I think the tub is nearly full.”

Ellen regretfully let go, and Nanase went into the bathroom to shut off the tap. Ellen started to contort her arms behind her back to reach her dress’s zipper, then realized she didn’t need to. When Nanase came out of the bathroom, she asked her, “Could you unzip me, please?” She turned around and lifted her long hair off her back and neck.

Nanase chuckled. “My pleasure.” She slowly slid the zipper down, then slipped her hands into the dress around Ellen’s waist. Ellen felt goose bumps rising on her skin at the touch, of Nanase’s hands on her skin, and she felt a flush of heat spreading up and down her torso from that point of contact. She leaned back against Nanase, and Nanase let her hands wander higher. Ellen whimpered at the feeling of her love’s hands cupping her breasts, even through her bra. Nanase’s thumbs gently stroked across her nipples. Nanase’s warm breath tickling the back of her neck and ear was just further fuel for her fire.

Ellen pulled away and turned around, and let the dress slip off her arms to puddle around her feet. She bit her lip, suddenly a little self-conscious as she stood there in her bra and panties. She was certainly fit enough, but she didn’t work out like Nanase did, didn’t have those same sculpted muscles. She hoped her body, five years older and a little softer than the last time they’d been together, wouldn’t disappoint. She looked up and met Nanase’s gaze, and her worries evaporated. Nanase’s gaze upon her was a mixture of love, lust, and appreciation, and Nanase’s smile just grew larger the longer she looked at Ellen. She reached out to stroke a gentle finger across Ellen’s abdomen, causing Ellen to shiver.

“This is new,” Nanase said, and Ellen realized she was stroking her scar.

“Oh. Yeah, had to have my appendix taken out a couple of years ago.”

“Right, I heard about that. Didn’t sound like fun.”

“Nope.”

Nanase’s finger trailed upwards from the appendectomy scar, drawing a line of heat between Ellen’s breasts, and she smiled. “But _this_ looks familiar.” She slipped a finger under a bra strap, and teased it down Ellen’s shoulder. “Oooh, a front-clasp bra, my favorite.” She stared into Ellen’s eyes, and Ellen saw a little hesitancy there, as if she was not quite sure she should be doing this.

Ellen smiled back. “Do you want to open your presents now?”

Nanase’s smile firmed up, and became more confident. “Oh, yes.” She deftly unhooked the clasp between Ellen’s breasts, then paused, still holding the bra closed, licking her lips. Ellen felt her nipples harden and breathing deepen, just waiting for Nanase to expose her. Slowly, Nanase parted her hands, letting Ellen’s breasts free, and she gave a little appreciative sigh at the sight.

“Oh, you are _so_ beautiful,” Nanase murmured. She wriggled a little, a gentle roll of her hips, a move that Ellen recalled was Nanase clenching her thighs tight around her aroused pussy.

Then Ellen gave an embarrassed little smile, as she just _had_ to scratch under her tits, rubbing at the pressure mark left by the bra’s under-wire. Nanase laughed. “The big-boobed woman’s curse.”

“Yeah,” Ellen laughed back. “Sorry, not so sexy, I know, but”—

“But it does feel good.”

“Yup.”

“Here, let me help,” said Nanase impishly, and she displaced Ellen’s hands under her breasts, gently rubbing and massaging the indentation left in her flesh by the bra.

Ellen sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, yeah. Feels a _lot_ better, now…”

“Good.” She let her hands drift up, and brush across Ellen’s nipples, and Ellen sucked in a sharp breath. Nanase leaned forward, and licked Ellen’s left nipple, as she gently tweaked her right nipple. The sudden rush of sensation made Ellen’s knees to go weak, and she moaned. Nanase chuckled and lifted her head. “Rather salty.”

Ellen blushed a little, reminded of just how sweaty she was. She reached out, and slipped a finger into the cleavage of Nanase’s dress. “But you’re a bit over-dressed for the bath, you know.”

“You too,” said Nanase, glancing down at Ellen’s panties.

Ellen tugged at her panties, and discovered just how wet she was when they stuck to her pussy for a moment, before pulling away with a soft squelching sound. She kicked them aside, and, breathing heavily, said simply, “Your turn.”

Nanase spared a long moment to look Ellen up and down, her smile heating up. Her dress unzipped along the side seam, so she was able to unzip herself. She kept her gaze locked on Ellen as she pulled the dress off over her head, then her hands slipped behind her back to unclasp her bra. She paused for a moment, her cupped hand holding her bra in place, and smiled at Ellen.

“Please?” asked Ellen breathlessly. Nanase’s smile widened, and slid the bra down off her arms.

Ellen stared as the bra came off, her attention riveted by the sight as her lovely large tits came into view. “Ohh, my. Talk about beautiful.” Then she shook her head with a rueful smile. “I guess there _was_ something to Tedd’s theory about you having magic boobs.”

“Pardon?” Nanase looked startled at the sudden introduction of her newlywed cousin into their conversation.

Ellen looked pointedly at Nanase’s breasts. “I mean, no one our age has tits that large that are also that firm. Not without surgery, or magic.” She bounced one of her own breasts in her hand illustratively. Though by no means saggy, it was nowhere near as firm and upright as it had been a decade ago, at eighteen, or like Nanase still was.

Nanase looked down as if just noticing her own breasts for the first time. “Uh, _I_ do?”

Ellen sighed enviously. “Yeah, you do. You sexy, magical wench. _I_ haven’t been able to pass the pencil test for at least five years or so.”

Nanase smiled, then cupped her perfect tits in her hands, proffering them to Ellen. “Well, I’m happy to share.”

Ellen smiled slowly, then bent her head to kiss one proffered nipple. “Why, thank you, dear.” Nanase hadn’t danced as much as Ellen, and there was very little sweat on her breasts that Ellen could taste, and what she could taste she found yummy. Nanase shivered, and dug her hands into Ellen’s hair. Thus encouraged, Ellen dropped to her knees, wrapped her arms around Nanase’s slip-and-panty clad ass, and continued to lick and kiss her stiffening nipples. Her memories of how Nanase liked her breasts played with came rapidly back to her, and after her initial, firm kiss, she went back and forth between right and left, with soft gentle flicks of her tongue, lightly caressing and teasing. Her hands roamed up and down Nanase’s back, stroking lightly, and she kneaded her glorious muscular ass, enjoying the slick feel of her silken slip under her hands.

Nanase’s breathing deepened and quickened, her quiet little whimpers punctuating the soft kissing noises. Ellen slid Nanase’s slip and panties down her legs, and planted a kiss on her hip bone. The scent of Nanase’s arousal hit Ellen like a wall of heat, making her whole body flush in response, and she groaned appreciatively. Nanase’s wet pussy, covered with fine red hair, was as beautiful as Ellen remembered.

But before Ellen could direct her kisses to more promising portions of Nanase’s anatomy, Nanase slipped her hands under Ellen’s arms and lifted her to her feet in front of her. Ellen gave a startled little squeak. She’d forgotten just how strong Nanase was; although she loved strong women, no one had embodied that both physically as well as mentally quite like Nanase did.

She pulled Ellen to her in a hug, and plastered her mouth against hers. The time for soft gentle kisses was past; Nanase hungrily licked and kissed Ellen, sucking fiercely on her tongue. Ellen moaned into Nanase’s mouth, thrilled to at long last feel her lover’s naked flesh pressed into her own, all up and down the length of their bodies. Their tits were mashed together, their legs slipping automatically between each other’s thighs, slowly grinding their pussies against each other.

Nanase broke off the kiss first, and said, a bit breathlessly, “Bath?”

Ellen blinked at her, her mouth slightly agape. It took a moment for her brain to start working again, then she nodded. “Bath,” she agreed.

Nanase grabbed the ice bucket before they entered the bathroom, and she filled a couple of glasses with ice and water while Ellen twisted her long hair up in a knot to keep it out of the water. Ellen stepped into the tub, and lavender scent rose up to meet her. The scent and the slippery feel of the water showed that Nanase had added the hotel-provided bath salts to the tub when she turned it on.

“Ah, thank you,” Ellen said appreciatively, as Nanase handed her a tumbler of ice water. She drained the small glass in one long gulp, and Nanase did likewise. Nanase re-filled the glasses, set them on a shelf beside the tub, then climbed in with Ellen

Old habits returning without thought, Nanase sat down between Ellen’s legs and leaned back against her chest. Ellen wrapped one leg over Nanase’s legs, slipped her arms around Nanase’s waist, and sighed happily. She buried her nose in Nanase’s short red hair, and inhaled, once again relishing the feeling of comfort and _home_ that Nanase’s scent and presence brought to her.

“Have I said I love you recently?” Ellen asked.

Nanase chuckled. “Not in a while. We’ve been busy with other things.”

“Ah. That was an oversight. I love you.”

“And I love you.”

Ellen allowed herself to melt into the warm water, also bathing in the inner warmth that came from embracing her lover. The relaxation brought on by the warm water reminded her that it was getting late, and she had danced hard for well over an hour before Nanase had joined her on the dance floor. She let her hands wander a little, just gently stroking Nanase’s belly and breasts in the slippery scented water. The peacefulness, the short pause of just cuddling, felt wonderful. They snuggled together, not talking with words for a while, and she enjoyed reacquainting herself with the feel of her first lover in her arms. She chuckled, and kissed the back of Nanase’s neck.

“Hmm?” enquired Nanase, sounding pretty mellow herself. “What’s so funny?” 

“Nothing funny, I’m just _happy_. So very happy, being here with you.”

“Mmm. Me too.”

“I’m still horny, and want to make love with you, but for the moment… just holding you. Feeling you. Seeing you. Smelling you.” She licked Nanase’s ear, provoking a startled little giggle. “Tasting you. It’s all so wonderful.”

“Yes. Yes it it.”

Nanase pulled Ellen’s leg that was draped across her legs up closer to her, and began to rub Ellen’s foot. Ellen groaned with sensual delight, as the relaxation spread up her leg and made her whole body tingle.

“Oh, my, god. Oh, that’s good.” Nanase’s strong thumbs dug into the ball of her foot, and she whimpered a little in delight. “Ohh, are you trying to make me fall in love with you? Because it’s working.”

Nanase chuckled. Ellen’s head flopped back against the side of the tub, and she closed her eyes and savored the simple animal pleasure of her lover kneading and relaxing her.

“Dancing is hard on your feet. Especially the way you do it,” observed Nanase a couple of minutes later, as she pushed Ellen’s left leg down, then pulled the right one up to work on the other foot.

“Ah! Oh, yeah, right there,” Ellen groaned, as Nanase kneaded the arch of her foot. The tension released by Nanase’s hands made her whole body relax. Ellen felt her shoulders drop in response, and the tips of her fingers tingled, which she thought was an odd reaction to getting a foot massage.

After a few minutes of relaxation, other sensations started to come to the front of her attention. As Nanase’s hands worked on her calves, the initially deep muscle massage gradually became softer, more sensuous. Ellen purred in contentment, and her hips arched and wiggled a little, pressing her pussy up against Nanase’s tight ass.

“I think you’ve gone past the relaxation stage,” said Ellen, as her hands came back up to stroke Nanase’s tits, this time with a little more focus on her nipples.

“Oh, good. I was worried I’d put you to sleep,” teased Nanase.

Ellen leaned forward and gently kissed the side of Nanase’s neck, as her fingers danced lightly over her stiffening nipples. “No chance of that.” She reached over to the side of the tub and grabbed a bar of soap, and lathered up Nanase’s breasts, reveling in the feel of her hands sliding across them most deliciously. Nanase made a deep throated appreciative sound in response to Ellen’s slippery hands. Ellen let one hand drift south, and she ran her fingers lightly over Nanase’s pussy. They both shuddered a little at that. “God, you have the most wonderful pussy fur.”

Nanase cracked up. “ _Fur_? What am I, Grace?” Then her laughter turned into a gasp, as Ellen slid a finger between her outer lips, grazing her clit in the process.

“No, but I’ve never been with anyone else with pubic hair so fine and soft. It _is_ like fur.” She ran her fingers lightly over Nanase’s outer labia, gently combing the “fur” in question.

Nanase endured a few moments of this gentle petting before she grabbed Ellen’s hand and pressed it more firmly against her crotch. “Better make sure I’m all clean.”

Ellen grinned, and obligingly slid her fingers into Nanase’s cunt. She stroked up and down the length of her slit, cleaning and teasing at the same time, avoiding her clit. Nanase bucked her hips up against Ellen’s hand with a frustrated little whimper, and Ellen relented, unable to tease for long. She slipped two fingers to either side of Nanase’s clit and gently squeezed it. Nanase gasped, then she wriggled and slid and turned over, sending water sloshing over the edge of the tub. She ended up face to face with Ellen, and she grabbed her face and kissed her hard. She slipped a knee between Ellen’s legs, and pressed herself against Ellen. Ellen raised one of her knees between Nanase’s thighs to return the favor.

Ellen groaned, and slid her soapy hands all along Nanase’s back down to her ass. She massaged her lover’s well muscled ass, enjoying the curve of her buttocks in her hand.

Pulling her mouth away from Ellen’s, Nanase panted, “Let’s get out of here. I _want_ you.” They had long ago established that, for them, making love in a bath tub was just too accident-prone to qualify as “safe sex.”

Ellen pulled Nanase back for another prolonged kiss, then said simply, “Yes.”

Nanase pulled herself up and stepped out of the tub. Ellen hesitated a moment, practicality warring with lust and romance, then she took the opportunity to quickly rub the bar of soap over her own body, concentrating on her pits and crotch, before rinsing the soap off and standing up herself.

Nanase, already wrapped in a towel, held one out for her. Ellen stepped into her arms and the towel, ending with their arms around each other, hugging. Ellen ran her hands up and down the length of Nanase’s body, drying her off a little, and Nanase reciprocated.Nanase squeezed Ellen tight for a moment, and said quietly, “Ah, how I’ve missed you.”

“Me too.” They broke their clench, and Ellen grabbed her water glass as they left the bathroom. They headed hand-in-hand towards the bed, towels slipping off their bodies to the floor as they went.

The king-sized bed somehow loomed even larger than it really was as they approached it, a crisp white cotton covered symbol of intimacy. Ellen’s heart started beating faster. She stopped at the bedside, then turned to Nanase, suddenly nervous again. She set down her glass on the bedside table, and turned around. She gave Nanase a tremulous smile. “Last chance to come to your senses.”

Nanase just smiled and shook her head. She reached out and stroked Ellen’s face. “Stop that. I came to my senses when I decided to approach you on the dance floor. _You_ are what I want.”

Ellen grabbed Nanase’s hand as it stroked her face, and held it against her cheek. She studied Nanase’s smiling face intently, looking for any hesitation or doubts, but she found none. Her heart lifted, feeling the last fragments of her doubt falling away. She felt an almost giddy surge of joy. She smiled wide at Nanase, her eyes suddenly damp with happy tears. “I do so love you,” she whispered.

“And I love you. Don’t you ever forget it.”

“I won’t.” Ellen moved Nanase’s hand to her mouth, and kissed her palm.

Nanase reached her free hand up to pull out the hair stick and pencil that Ellen had used to pin her hair up in a bun. As Ellen’s hair tumbled down her back, Nanase said, “And I haven’t mentioned it yet, but I really like your longer hair.”

“Thanks.” Ellen shook her head a little to settle her hair, then ran a hand through Nanase’s shorter cropped red hair, lightly dragging her fingernails over her scalp. “It was always one of my favorite parts of a V5 transformation, so I figured, might as well get to enjoy it on a regular basis.” She continued to run her fingers through Nanase’s much shorter hair. “And I really like your hair short.” She grinned. “Makes it _much_ easier to kiss your neck.”

“Really? I think I’d like a demonstration of that.”

“Why, ‘twould be my pleasure, madame.” Ellen leaned in towards Nanase’s neck, but Nanase planted a hand between her breasts to stop her.

“Ah, maybe we could have this demonstration in a more _horizontal_ position? My feet are still killing me.”

Ellen laughed. “Right. Bed.” She turned and pulled the covers down, then crawled onto the bed. She paused, on her hands and knees in the middle of the large bed. She looked back over her shoulder, knowing full well what kind of view she was presenting to Nanase. She smirked and wiggled her ass, then yelped and laughed as Nanase grabbed her hips and leaned forward to take a soft bite of her ass.

Ellen collapsed onto the bed and rolled over, still laughing, then yelped again as Nanase pounced on her. She looked up into Nanase’s eyes and stopped breathing for a moment. Nanase was straddling her, smiling down at her with a look of such heat and desire that it took Ellen’s breath away.

“I _said_ I wanted you,” Nanase purred happily. “And that it’s been over a year…”

She slipped her hands into Ellen’s, lacing their fingers together, then she pushed them to the mattress beside Ellen’s head, pinning her in place. She leaned in to kiss her, hard. Ellen moaned, “ _Yessss…,”_ arousal washing through her body in a wave with the awareness of Nanase’s strength. Nanase held her in place and kissed her, then shifted tothrust a knee between Ellen’s thighs. Ellen parted her legs willingly, eagerly, thrusting back against her love. She was already soaking wet, with more than just bath water, and her hairless pussy slid slickly over the muscular column of Nanase’s thigh as she bucked her hips off the bed.

Nanase broke off the kiss and moved to nip at Ellen’s earlobe. Ellen moaned and pushed her hands in vain against her lover’s restraining grip. “A long, _long_ , year,” Nanase continued in a hoarse whisper, her breath hot in Ellen’s ear. “Oh, the things I want to do with you…”

“Oh, please,” whimpered Ellen, “Please do.”

Nanase’s answering chuckle was delightfully wicked. Nanase continued to keep her hands pinned to the mattress, and Ellen loved the sensation of being restrained. She had almost forgotten what Nanase’s wonderful strength felt like, in bed. Making love with Nanase felt both old and new; it had been so long, and yet, some weird way, it felt like they were back where they had just left off.

She bucked and thrust against Nanase, trying, but not really, to dislodge her. Nanase leaned in and ran her tongue down the side of Ellen’s neck, causing Ellen to pause a moment in her efforts to “escape,” as she shuddered and moaned from the heat of that caress. Before she could move again, Nanase’s mouth clamped hard over the pulse point of her neck, her tongue pressing hard into her flesh and the gentle threat of her teeth indenting her skin.

“Oh, god, yes, love, yes…” Ellen whispered. She arched her neck and pressed up to increase the pressure on her, not caring if she was being marked or not. Actually hoping a little bit that she was. At twenty-eight, she felt a little old to be sporting hickeys on her neck like some lust-stricken teenager; but at the same time, she _wanted_ that mark, wanted that public declaration of belonging to, and with, another. With Nanase.

Nanase’s mouth continued to roam all over her neck, and Ellen stopped trying to escape, but instead pressed against Nanase’s restraining hands as a means of increasing the tension her body was under. Her whole body was taut as bow, straining upward, and Nanase was grinding into her, her own passion hot and wet against Ellen’s thigh. Nanase’s tongue and teeth continued to inflame her neck and ears, and she whimpered repeatedly under the assault.

Ellen’s was lost in the flood of sensation; it had been years since anyone had played with her neck with such skill and loving attention. Her voice rose to a higher pitched hiss of “ _Yesss…_ ”, white-hot erotic heat pouring through her body.

Nanase clamped her mouth to the side of her neck, then released her grip on Ellen’s hands. She slid one hand over to bury her fingers in Ellen’s hair, scratching her scalp, her other hand stretching out to the bedside table. Ellen was so lost in sensation that she barely registered the soft clinking sound, until the electric sensation of an ice cube being pressed against her nipple shot through her. The sheer perfection of the combination of sensations, neck, scalp, and nipple, pushed Ellen over the edge, and her muscles spasmed in an orgasmic convulsion. She gave a wordless cry of passion, utterly overwhelmed by both the physical sensations, and the knowledge that it was Nanase who was making her feel this way. Lust and love combined in a perfect, passionate roar of feelings, blanking out all conscious thought as she yowled and bucked under her love’s skilled attentions.

Rational thought came back to Ellen slowly, as her quivering body returned to a more normal state. She became aware that Nanase was no longer atop her, but was laying along her side. Her tongue was gently making slow lazy patterns around the side of her neck, as her hand gently stroked Ellen’s hair.

As Ellen opened her eyes, Nanase chuckled. “Welcome back, love. You’re _so_ much fun to play with.”

Ellen gave a breathless laugh. “Yeah. Wow.” She blinked, and turned her head to kiss Nanase. “God, I haven’t had a neck-gasm like that in _years._ ”

“About five or so?”

Ellen smiled. “Yeah, actually.”

“I’m glad I remembered how.”

“Oh, boy, howdy, did you remember how.” She ran an appreciative hand down the length of Nanase’s body. She turned on her side a little to face Nanase, and slipped her leg between Nanase’s thighs. Nanase made a small happy noise at the sensation, and squeezed Ellen’s leg between hers.

Ellen kissed Nanase again. “I know I shouldn’t make comparisons, but—you really _are_ the best lover I’ve ever had.”

Nanase chuckled again, and looked smug. “What a happy coincidence.”

“Ah?” Ellen fished for reassurance.

Nanase kissed her, slowly and sensually, letting her tongue trace a lazy path around her lips. Ellen whimpered a little at the sensation. “You’re the best lover _I’ve_ ever had, too. My love.”

Ellen smiled and gently stroked Nanase’s cheek. “I love you.”

“And I, you.”

Ellen suddenly giggled as a random thought popped into her mind.

“What?”

“It just occurred to me—if Grace had any idea of just how incredibly good our sex life was, she’d be _really_ unbearably smug.”

Nanase gave Ellen an unexpectedly nervous smile, and took a deep breath. “Ah. Yes. Um, speaking of Grace, I do have one _small_ confession to make.”

Ellen frowned. “Oh? What?” She clamped down hard on her imagination, as it tried to supply her with all sorts of awful possibilities. She hugged Nanase a little tighter.

“Grace… wasn’t the one responsible for _Open the Door_ coming up just then, when we were dancing. I mean, she did ask the DJ to play it, but, uh…” Nanase bit her lip.

Ellen laughed as she realized what Nanase was trying to say. “But _you_ asked Grace to ask her to play it in the first place.”

“Um. Yeah.”

"Just how long have you been plotting this?" Ellen asked curiously.

"What?" Nanase blinked. "Oh! No, nothing like that. That song didn't occur to me until I watched you dancing out there for a while, and wished the DJ would play a slower song so I could slow-dance with you."

"Ah."

Nanase looked nervously at Ellen. “I… hope you don’t mind.”

Ellen shook her head and gave her a kiss. “Why should I mind you bringing us together?”

“Well… it _was_ kind of manipulative. Hitting you with that song.”

Ellen shrugged, conceding the point. She ran a hand through Nanase’s hair, and stroked her cheek. “But, it was for the best. _I_ was too chickenshit to approach you on my own. I’m glad at least one of us had the courage to do something.”

Nanase still looked a little worried. Ellen sighed. “Sweetie, it’s all right. I forgive you, if that’s what you’re looking for. In fact, I thank you.”

Nanase relaxed and smiled a little. “Truly?”

Ellen kissed her. “Truly,” she affirmed. “I hope that whenever I’m too scared to do the right thing, you’ll always be there to push me in the right direction.”

“Yes. I will. And vice-versa.”

“Yes. Of course.” Ellen smiled, and kissed her lover again. “Good. Glad we got that settled. Now…” Her smile slowly became more heated, and she hugged Nanase tighter, grinding her leg between her thighs. “I believe I _still_ have a taste-test I need to perform.”

**Author's Note:**

>  _Open the Door_ lyrics by Dan Shive


End file.
